Tom Neel's Blog

The Currency of Meeting People

Wouldn’t it be amazing if there was a currency with the faces of every living person on each bill, and just by having that bill you could meet that person? Meeting people is one of the greatest forms of wealth, period. It’s one of the reasons why a person like Oprah, as an example, is to me really so wealthy beyond their dreams and bank account.

This is a whole new type of net worth, as they have the unique position and ability to call any author, any politician, any actor, any great director, singer, motivational speaker, any Nobel Prize recipient, anyone, and very likely be able to speak or meet them. They all might be thinking, I get to meet Oprah, but trust me, she is saying I get to meet them and pick their brain, to understand a broader way of thinking, to learn from them. What an asset, what an amazing currency to have at your disposal.

Give thought to this concept when you meet people. You never know how they may or may not affect your life, much less your art career. One benefit you have as an artist within the realm of this concept of currency is that I have found people in general like talking to artists. Many artists can be introverted, and you’ll need to break from your shell to obviously maximize this asset. Others have the gift of gab, so use it. Meet people, tell them you are an artist, allow them to be interested in you and your work, but always be interested in them too. There’s a life long payoff in doing so!